The Impaler is fully automatic with a fire rate of 30 rounds per second, although fully automatic fire is discouraged under most circumstances. A capacitor system is used to fire the weapon in short bursts, conserving ammunition and minimizing power requirements. Due to this, the C-14 rifle has high recoil; CMC armor is designed to suppress this. The armor can also supplement the rifle's power supply. The rifle features a torch function, a retractable bayonet and can be used in conjunction with a M98 ballistic alloy combat shield. The rifle has an LED (light-emitting diode) magazine capacity indicator, showing how much ammunition remains in its magazine (hundreds of rounds). In addition, the rifle can launch fragmentation grenades and can accept a laser designator and RPG components. Grapples may also be fired from the muzzle.

The C-14 is capable of firing a wide variety of ammunition;

Armor piercing: Used against heavily armored targets.

Depleted uranium: Encompass U-238 shells/spikes. The most popular variant among marines given that they extend the rifle's range up to 25%.

Hollow point spread: Flatten and expand on impact for maximum wounding efficiency. Custom made by Ardo Melnikov.